Politics

Bayelsa 2023: Diri, Sylva locked Horn In Massive Offensive For 2nd Term

Published

3 years ago

April 29, 2023

The outcome of the recently concluded 2023 general elections, undoubtedly, shows that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has a tall mountain to surmount in the predominantly riverine Bayelsa State where the ruling people’s Democratic Party, PDP swept aside its rival parties, clinching eight of the National Assembly seats (three senate and five House of representatives) and again maintained its dominance in the State House of Assembly winning 17 seats.

The election and APC’s recent primary also exposed the seeming lack of unity and cohesion in the opposition party, which could turn out to be its undoing in the November 11 governorship election unless its leaders put aside ego and personal ambition to commence genuine reconciliation of aggrieved members. As a party in Bayelsa, the APC, no doubt, revolves around Chief Timipre Sylva, the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum and one time governor of the state.

APC astoundingly lost a senatorial seat in the zone of its leader and candidate for the forthcoming governorship poll as well the Reps seat in his Southern Ijaw federal constituency homestead to its bitter rival, the ruling PDP. The senatorial zone is expected to influence the outcome of the November poll. The APC made an inroad in the state assembly winning five seats while the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, clinched two seats. Incidentally, the two seats won by APGA were based on protest votes over alleged imposition of candidates gunning for third term by the PDP.

For a party that against all odds brought to an end the nearly 20 years of PDP rule in 2019 governorship election until providence played a cruel joke on it following the verdict of the Supreme Court which sacked its governor-elect, few hours to his swearing in over alleged discrepancies in the names of his running mate, the 2023 general election was a blow to the APC in the state. Interestingly, the battle for the soul of the state is now shifted to the Creek Haven, the Bayelsa Government House. So, the question is who can dislodge the incumbent Senator Douye Diri, the man fondly referred to as a miracle Governor because of the circumstances surrounding his ascendance to power.

Already, the race is panning out as a straight one between Diri and Sylva, who are both looking for second term. While Diri is currently serving his first term, Sylva served between 2008 and 2012. The PDP and its candidate, Diri will be heading to the battlefield as a united and formidable front with a remarkable and intimidating scorecard of achievements. Diri who hails from Kolokuma/ Okpokuma Local Government Area, was a Senator, ex member of the House of Representatives, and former Commissioner for Youth and Sports in the state.

He was also a teacher, and former Organising Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress, a position that drew him closer to the grassroots which may have influenced his governance style and ability to relate well with all as well as providing leadership for his party which resulted in the tsunami witnessed in the just concluded general elections in the state. His supporters claim that he has the support of the people because of his developmental strides.

Today, many riverine communities which hitherto could not be reached by road are now motorable. Many believe that he remains the man to beat come November 11 given his intimidating credentials of achievements in the last three years. “We have not witnessed a situation like this in Bayelsa State where in a major election, not a single life was lost. No security threats, kudos to the incumbent government. He has also won the hearts of Bayelsans. I never believed I would ever travel by road to my ancestral homeland at Angiama in Southern Ijaw LGA in my life time because of the nearly 60 years of failed promises by successive governments at the state and national level but Diri was able to break the jinx.

“Also, our senior citizens are now getting their pension regularly as well as their gratuities on time. That’s for a fact. I get to hear different testimonies from neighbours and other citizens,” Elder Ebiye Accra stated. However, the APC candidate, Chief Sylva, the Okpoama born politician from Brass LGA could be described as the strongest among those jostling to wrestle power from the incumbent having held one of the juiciest portfolios at the federal level as a Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and as a former governor of the state.

He has the requisite war chest and connection at the federal level to actualize his ambition of returning to Creek Haven but all cannot be said to be well with his party in which some members have accused him of running the party as his private estate. They blamed the abysmal performance of the party in the state at the 2023 polls on him. The primaries that threw up the party candidates before the poll, they argued, was one-man show. Will Sylva repeat David Lyon’s 2019 feat?

Though his army of supporters believe he has the magic wand to repeat the David Lyon feat of 2019 insisting he was the unseen hand behind the APC victory at the poll having backed Lyon to emerge as candidate, findings, however, show that most of the aspirants who contested against him are unhappy with the conduct of the election and the result declared. There is also the fear that some of those who lost the party primary to Sylva may work against the party.

In order to brighten APC’s chances, watchers of political events in the state are of the opinion that the APC national leadership must reconcile the aggrieved aspirants and others who have since turned their backs against the party. Eradiri, Osuluka, Subiri, others eye seat Also in the race is Engr Udens Eradiri of the Labour Party, LP. The former President of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, worldwide and former Commissioner for Youths and later Environment under the Seriake Dickson administration is one of the youngest candidates jostling to occupy the Creek Haven.

The Agudama-Ekpetiama-born youth activist turned politician will be banking on the youths to actualise his dream having served as a youth leader at both the central (Bayelsa) and national level of the Ijaw nation. Waibodei Subiri of the All progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, is said to be a former teacher and surveyor. He promised to focus on youth empowerment, noting that the only way to achieve a better state is to get a greater percentage of youths involved in governance. For Binalayefa Joshua Osuluku, a legal practitioner and candidate of the Social Democratic Party,SDP, promised to work for the victory of his party by unseating the PDP in the governorship election and bring about a paradigm shift in the governance of the state.
VANGUARD

Related Topics:Bayelsa Douye Dieu Timipre Sylva

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Politics

2027: NDC Unveils Electoral Committee Members For Primaries

Published

5 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has released list of Electoral Committee Members to Conduct primary election.

The exercise is for State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship and Presidential Primaries across all States in Nigeria and the FCT.

This was contained in a statement posted on its verified X handle on Thursday.

The party had provided updates concerning its upcoming Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, and State Assembly primaries.

According to the party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas,
and Barr. Ikenna Alex-Morgan Enekweizu, National Secretary, the primaries are confirmed to take place across the nation on May 29, 2026, adhering to the previously established timetable of May 28 and 29.

Politics

APC: Fubara Has Been Treated Badly, It’s Dangerous For Tinubu – Otubanjo

Published

5 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The director of research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Femi Otubanjo, has said the treatment of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in the just concluded All Progressives Congress’, APC, primary poses political danger to President Bola Tinubu.

Otubanjo stated this on Thursday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he also criticised the role being played by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in the political affairs of Rivers State and the All Progressives Congress.

According to him, the handling of Fubara’s political crisis remains one of the most surprising developments in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Otubanjo further argued that Wike, who is not a member of the APC, appears to be dictating political activities within the ruling party in Rivers State.The research director warned that the current political arrangement in Rivers State could negatively affect Tinubu politically, insisting that Wike was pursuing his personal agenda rather than that of the president.

He said: “The treatment of Fubara must be one of the American wonders of Nigerian politics. Fubara has been badly treated. We have a situation in which Nyesom Wike who is not even in the APC is taking the primary decision in the APC. I hope the tactical team of President Bola Tinubu is not sleeping.

“The reality is that what they have done is very dangerous for Tinubu. What has emerged in Rivers today is that Wike is pursuing his own agenda, not Tinubu’s agenda inspite of PBAT and all of that combination.”

“If Wike really wants to pursue Tinubu’s agenda, he must retain Fubara.”

Politics

In Defence Of Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe: The Generational Shift Reshaping Edo Politics

Published

1 day ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

By DAN Osa-Ogbegie

For decades, Edo politics remained trapped within a narrow and predictable cycle of political recycling. The same ageing actors moved endlessly from one office to another, from one administration to the next, and from one political alignment to another, as though leadership in Edo State had become the exclusive inheritance of a permanent political aristocracy.

Meanwhile, thousands of intelligent, energetic, and capable young Edo people watched helplessly from the margins while opportunities for leadership, governance, party administration, and public service remained tightly controlled by individuals whose political relevance dated back several decades.

That unhealthy political culture is now gradually changing.

Today, one of the most important political transformations taking place within the All Progressives Congress in Edo State is the deliberate transition from recycled political gerontocracy to a younger generation of political actors. That transition is unfolding under the leadership of Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State and Leader of the APC in Edo State, together with the State Chairman of the party, Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Predictably, such a shift has unsettled entrenched interests.

Those who became accustomed to monopolising political relevance naturally feel threatened by the emergence of a younger generation that is increasingly assertive, visible, influential, and institutionally empowered. Yet, history teaches a simple lesson: no political structure survives indefinitely without renewal.

No serious political party can continue recycling the same exhausted political machinery forever while expecting innovation, grassroots energy, modern governance ideas, and long-term political sustainability.

That reality appears to be clearly understood by Governor Monday Okpebholo and Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Much of the criticism unfairly directed at Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe in recent times stems from the fact that he has become one of the visible faces of this generational transition within Edo APC. Beneath the noise, propaganda, and political bitterness lies an undeniable truth: the party is consciously opening spaces for younger people in ways not seen for many years.

From the youthful Deputy Chairman of APC in Edo State, Sylvester Aigboboh, to several younger commissioners, Special Advisers, members of the State Executive Council, board chairmen, local government administrators, and strategic appointees across government, the evidence of deliberate political renewal is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.

In Uhunmwode Local Government Area, Hon. Austin Imafidon has emerged as one of the young faces of focused governance and grassroots administration. Beyond politics, he has already established himself successfully in business, bringing into governance the mindset of productivity, enterprise, and modern administrative engagement.

In Etsako, Hon. Sunny Ekpeson has continued to attract national attention as the youngest ALGON Chairman in Nigeria, representing a clear departure from the era where local government leadership was treated as the permanent preserve of ageing political operators disconnected from younger demographics.

In Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Hon. Eric Osawaru represents another example of the younger political generation now entrusted with leadership responsibilities, while in Oredo Local Government Area, Engr. Gabriel Iduseri equally reflects the growing confidence being reposed in younger administrators within the APC structure.

In Owan, Hon. Aitalegbe Ernest, popularly known as “China Boy,” has also emerged as one of the prominent young political figures gaining traction as the incoming Chairman of the local government, further reinforcing the expanding generational transition currently taking shape across Edo State.

The same pattern is visible across government institutions and strategic agencies.

Pastor Stanley Dave Ighodaro, a successful entrepreneur with thriving business interests in Europe, now heads the Edo State Parks and Gardens Agency. His emergence reflects an increasingly important shift towards bringing professionally exposed and globally minded younger individuals into governance and public administration.

Similarly, Kassim Otono, who serves as Special Adviser on Oil and Gas to the Executive Governor of Edo State, represents another example of younger technocratic involvement within the present administration. His inclusion within such a strategic sector underscores the growing confidence being placed in younger professionals and politically aware technocrats within government.

This is how enduring institutions are built.

A political party that refuses to regenerate itself eventually becomes intellectually stagnant, structurally weak, and electorally disconnected from evolving social realities.

Governor Monday Okpebholo deserves commendation for recognising that governance in a rapidly changing society cannot remain permanently tied to political methods and leadership assumptions developed several decades ago. Contemporary governance demands adaptability, technological awareness, stronger grassroots engagement, administrative energy, and a deeper connection with younger populations.

Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe equally deserves credit for helping stabilise the party while managing this difficult but necessary transition process. Generational shifts are never easy within political systems historically dominated by established interests. Resistance is inevitable. Political resentment is expected. Internal anxieties naturally emerge whenever old monopolies begin to weaken.

Leadership, however, requires courage.

The recently concluded primaries further revealed this evolving direction within the APC. The emergence of candidates such as Rt. Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Osazee Igbinovia, Dr. Emmanuel Paddy Iyamu, Omosede Igbinedion, Sir Lucky Eseigbe, and Odianosen Okojie reflects a growing political philosophy that increasingly values capacity, grassroots relevance, contemporary appeal, and generational continuity.

Equally symbolic is the emergence of several young Acting Local Government Council Chairmen who are now candidates of the party in the forthcoming local government elections. That development sends a powerful message across Edo State that political participation is gradually becoming more accessible to younger people with competence, commitment, and organisational value.

For too long, many young people in Edo politics were reduced to political spectators, social media defenders, praise singers, or election-day foot soldiers while actual power remained tightly guarded elsewhere. Such a model was never sustainable.

A society that continuously sidelines its younger generation ultimately weakens its own political future.

The ongoing transition within Edo APC does not amount to hostility towards elders or experienced political actors. Experience remains valuable. Elder statesmen still possess institutional memory and political wisdom that younger actors can benefit from immensely. Mentorship, however, must never become political suffocation. Guidance must never evolve into permanent political domination.

Every generation deserves the opportunity to participate meaningfully in shaping the future it will eventually inherit.

That is precisely why the current direction of the APC leadership in Edo State deserves objective acknowledgement rather than emotional hostility.

Many of those attacking Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe today are not truly angry about party administration. Their deeper discomfort arises from the reality that political influence is gradually shifting away from old centres of control towards a newer generation of actors who may no longer depend entirely on traditional political gatekeepers for relevance or survival.

Societies evolve.

Political cultures evolve.

Leadership itself evolves.

No generation owns political power forever.

Ultimately, the future of Edo State cannot be built exclusively around recycled political veterans whose greatest political moments belong largely to the past. A forward-looking society must continuously create room for younger leadership, newer ideas, fresh administrative energy, and modern political thinking.

That future is already unfolding within the APC in Edo State.

History may eventually remember Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe and Governor Monday Okpebholo as central figures in the difficult but necessary political transition that began moving Edo away from recycled political dominance towards a broader and younger leadership culture capable of preparing the state for a different era.

Daniel Aroren Noah Osa-Ogbegie is a Benin based legal practitioner and public intellectual from Uhunmwode Local Government Area.